FORT MYERS, Fla. – The last few years have been a seesaw of injury and frustration for Michael Chavis.

Boston’s top prospect has swung between those unpleasant extremes thanks to a torn thumb ligament in 2016, an oblique strain in 2018 and shortly thereafter an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

His truncated 2018 season ended on a good note after 46 games in Lowell, Portland and Pawtucket where he hit a combined .298 with a .919 OPS and nine homers. Rather than seeking yet another fresh start in 2019, the infielder was hoping to maintain those impressive numbers this spring training.

He did just that, going 6-for-22 (.273) with four homers, 10 RBIs and six strikeouts in 11 games.

Though Chavis was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday in the first wave of cuts in big-league camp, this demotion isn’t like the other disappointments of the last few years.